Spirit of Friendship (2024)

Spirit of Friendship (2024). 1h 25m

“I like Spirit of Friendship because of the gorgeous scenery, appeal to kids, fitting background music and meaningful theme. Although there are some awkward moments, it is a good family friendly film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe storyline follows Billy (Jeremy London) recalling his experience dealing with his motheru0026#39;s death. Twelve-year-old Billy (Carter Grassi) and his friends, Mike (Luca Corticelli) and Jake (Dante Corticelli), try to communicate with Billyu0026#39;s deceased momu0026#39;s spirit and meet two women, Emma (Delaney Miclette) and her friend Abby (Brianna Gleason) – Emma is sympathetic, but Abby is disrespectful and mocks him. As he struggles to cope with his emotions, a mysterious man named Leonard (Sal Rendino) mysteriously shows up to help Billy deal with his grief.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a film about friendship; we watch Billyu0026#39;s friends help him deal with his grief and support his ideas about talking to his momu0026#39;s spirit. One thing I like about Spirit of Friendship is the scenery and gorgeous sets that make this film look real. When Billy and his friends are walking through a forest trail, there are spectacular trees with autumn leaves falling everywhere. The background music always compliments the scenes. For example, when Billy is having fun with Mike and Jake, there is upbeat pop music. I like that this movie includes contemporary slang that kids can relate to. Mike and Jake use words like u0026quot;midu0026quot; – for mediocre. This is relatable because kids actually use that slang. I am impressed with the acting of Sal Rendino who plays Leonard. He serves as Billyu0026#39;s role model, which makes a lot of sense. There are some awkward moments such as when the actors repeatedly stutter their lines or times when the acting seems awkward. Whenever Emma talks to Billy, it feels off. The emotional connection that Emma and Billy are supposed to have does not quite come off as real and this makes their dialogue feel corny.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe filmu0026#39;s message is to value the people around you. It is important to treasure the people who love you especially when you are suffering from a loss. Be forewarned that there is some harsh language and minor swearing.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI give Spirit of Friendship 3.5 of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It begins streaming on August 13, 2024. By Zoe C., KIDS FIRST!”